The Universal Law of Attraction ‘Fear Factor’: Do You Have It?
The Universal Law of Attraction and all of its complexities was a very tough concept for me to grasp when I first started learning. I resisted it because so much of it was downright scary - wait, I'm in charge of everything that comes to me?! No thanks! Fast forward a few years and I'm an adoring fan, but boy was it a learning curve. As I help clients grow in their healing and spirituality, I often share my thoughts on the Universal Law of Attraction with them. And, they have the best questions!
(If you are new to the principles of the Universal Law of Attraction, I highly recommend reading this article first: The Basics of The Law of Attraction and Why Hating It Won't Work).
The same three question seem to repeat from clients and instead of give them MY answer, I turned to an amazing mentor, Shannon Sheridan of Thrival Living, and asked her to dish the scoop. She's what I call a hero on the topic.
The Universal Law of Attraction and The Fear Factor
Q: In terms of the Universal Law of Attraction, I have so many clients who, as they learn about the LoA, become paranoid that every negative thought is "bad" or attracting more negativity into their lives. What are your thoughts on this and how we can find a balance?
A: This is a normal response and part of the new "practice." I explain that the good news is we don't get instant manifestation. Whew. Those things that manifest do so as a result of a "vibration" that has some momentum. Thinking negative thoughts is not enough. Paying attention to our "feelings" is the best way to begin changing our patterns. If we stay stuck in the negative thinking and make a habit of it...or if it has been a habit and we are changing it, the best way to pay attention is to how we FEEL. If we feel sad, despair, powerless, helpless, guilty, inadequate, scared, angry....lower level feelings, then they are an indicator to us that we are hanging with the “shitty committee” or future projecting. It is about having strong intention that we want to feel good, or at the minimum (when conditions are justifiably fucked up), feel RELIEF. So sometimes this means, depending on the strength of our feeling, that we have to back away from it completely. Whatever we are focused on. Distract, change focus etc. Hard to do when you are in the midst of a dis-ease process and yet mandatory.
The conditions will not change until we change how we feel about the conditions and make peace with it, make the best of it, take our attention from it.
This take practice, every day and is the most important part of the journey and the embedded gift in illness and hardship...it supports us in learning that we have control ONLY over how we feel and that the conditions do not define our value, wellbeing or joy. So the thoughts by themselves do not create negative. It is when we continue to not pay attention and stay stuck in the habit and over time create more and more feeling of disconnect...which eventually shows up in bodily symptoms. I also invite people to look at the evidence all over of things going well, life flowing, good stuff in ones life even in spite of the shitty condition they may be dealing with.
The Bottom Line
The emotional/energetic experience over time is at the basis of the bodily condition and so of course on some level they want to get more in charge of paying attention, noticing, increasing awareness which is all good and I say...be gentle, be easy with yourself, be kind, keep it light, don't be so hard on yourself, breathe...this is a process and the journey is MOST important.
This is such a vast topic and the LoA goes through our own perceptual filter which is based on limited thinking, lack, inadequacy, blame, fault blah, blah, blah, which has LoA feel like "punishment" or we did something WRONG or we are at FAULT. NOT SO!! Clearing out our filters helps tremendously to understand that LoA is not based on those types of influences. It is simply energy. This is why people get so confused when they were not "thinking" about something and it turns up. It is oversimplified and far more complicated in some ways. This is why I often use the word "match." I am a match for that because I have some long-standing beliefs about my body being vulnerable and unable to heal itself based on a strong medical model and belief system entrenched/habituated in our society/culture.
A Note From Amy
I love what Shannon says about this being "practice." It's so true! I never perfected it completely and can attest to the fact that intention has A LOT to do with how this works for you. Just keep trying to shift to a better place and focus on what you do want, and it works. You can still be human and you won't be penalized. Promise.